Golden State Warriors

Front office and bench

Ownership

Joe Lacob and Peter Guber

President of Basketball Operations and General Manager

Mike Dunleavy Jr. since 2023

Assistants

• Frank VogelAssociate head coach (2026, in charge of the defense)
• Khalid RobinsonAssistant coach
• Jacob RubinAssistant coach
• Anthony VereenAssistant coach

The direction

What the franchise says and what its moves show

Golden State has opted for stability and flexibility over a major overhaul: short-term deals for the veterans, protected picks and plenty of future cap space. The plan is to stay competitive with Curry while waiting on Butler, with Lendeborg stepping right into the rotation. Kerr accepts that they enter the season with lower expectations and wants the focus on the process.

Building around

Stephen Curry Jimmy Butler Yaxel Lendeborg

What they have said

• He said they presented Curry with a plan to remain highly competitive and that the club retains flexibility and assets to make moves.

  President and GM Mike Dunleavy Jr. · NBC Sports Bay Area / NBA.com · September 2026

• He said he's comfortable with lower expectations and asked for the focus to be on the day-to-day process rather than the pressure of a title.

  Head coach Steve Kerr · NBA.com · September 2026

What the data points to

• Seller Very likely

  • Jimmy Butler is the kind of veteran a contender asks for in February.
  • They are no use to this project in the medium term.
• Clean up the books Very likely

  • Spends 223.3 M and is over the second apron.
  • It is 22.9 M over the tax, and every extra million costs another one and a half or more in penalties.
  • Expiring contracts appeal to it: swapping long money for salary that runs out frees up room for the summer.
• Losing pays off Likely

  • It owns its 2027 first-round pick.
  • Every loss adds lottery balls.
• Will hit free agency with cap space Likely

  • It has 144.3 M committed for next season: about 32.2 M under the cap (estimated).
  • Expensive free agents can only go to teams with space or via sign-and-trade.
• Flight risk Likely

  • Kristaps Porziņģis can leave next summer through his player option.
  • If the project does not convince him, better to trade him than lose him for nothing.

Moves

Summer 2026

• Steve Kerr signs a two-year extension (May) after missing the playoffs via the play-in.
• Assistants Terry Stotts and Jerry Stackhouse depart; Frank Vogel arrives as associate head coach (July).
• Stephen Curry signs a two-year, $116M extension, about $10M below the max.
• 2026 Draft: Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 11, NCAA champion with Michigan).
• Draymond Green, Al Horford, Kristaps Porziņģis, Gary Payton II, De'Anthony Melton and Georges Niang re-sign on short-term deals; Brandon Williams signs.
• Quinten Post and Pat Spencer depart.
• They tried, unsuccessfully, to sign LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
• Jimmy Butler is still recovering from the ACL tear he suffered in February; Porziņģis is out indefinitely with a health issue (September).

Latest

• Oct 17 Waived Waived Fs Tyler Burton, Dalen Terry and Alex Toohey.
• Sep 21 Two-way contract Signed F Graham Ike to a two-way contract.
• Sep 19 Waived Waived F Elias Ralph.
• Sep 18 Waived Waived C Jacksen Moni.
• Feb 5 Draft picks Acquired a 2026 second-round pick from Toronto Raptors for C Trayce Jackson-Davis.

The roster

15 NBA contracts · 2026-27 salaries

Strengths and weaknesses

Today's roster, facet by facet (league rank)

• Defense 5th
• Rim protection 9th
• Three-point shooting 9th
• Playmaking 2nd
• Scoring 7th
• Rebounding 13th
• Offensive impact 11th

Roster holes

• Needs a quality bigIts best big ranks below 97% of the league.
• Only 1 center in the rotationOne injury leaves it without a backup in the paint.

Contracts and extensions

Expiring this season

• Jimmy Butler 36 years old · paid 56.8 M Salary coming off the books
• Draymond Green 35 years old · paid 27.7 M Salary coming off the books

With an option next summer

• Kristaps Porziņģis19.5 M · can leave early

Bargains (produce far above their salary, for several years)

None.

Pricey but short (paid more than they produce, but ending soon)

• Jimmy Butler56.8 M · final year
• Draymond Green27.7 M · final year

Money and picks

Payroll 223.3 M Cap 165.0 M Tax 200.4 M 1st apron 209.0 M 2nd apron 221.7 M

Payroll

223.3 M · over the second apron

Distance to each line

tax: 22.9 M over · 1st apron: 14.3 M over · 2nd apron: 1.6 M over

Next summer

144.3 M committed · 32.2 M in cap space

First-rounders it can trade

2027, 2029 · the 2031 pick is frozen by the second apron

Radar and possible trades

Who could ask about its players

For now, no buyer fits what it has.

A trade that works under the CBA

No trade works right now: either nobody can absorb those salaries, or it has nothing to offer without tearing itself apart.

Trade pieces

Assets

Brandin Podziemski (worth 5.2 M more than his salary), Brandon Williams (worth 11.8 M more than his salary), Gary Payton II (worth 10.4 M more than his salary)

Contracts that weigh

None

To match salaries

Jimmy Butler (56.8 M), Draymond Green (27.7 M)